Sheffield Wednesday 1 (Best 57) Charlton 2 (Harriott 22, Church 65).
Kevin Nolan reports from Hillsborough.
Let’s get one thing straight. There is little evidence to suggest that Charlton’s chances of avoiding relegation will be affected by their convoluted Cup run. These bonny battlers show every sign of coping with whatever is thrown at them so bring on the sixth round at Bramall Lane. Winning is contagious. Meanwhile, relax. You’ll need your rest.
This delayed 5th round win, hard on the heels of an epic league victory over QPR, was bitterly earned over a side desperate to secure a titanic, money-spinning clash with their despised local rivals. There were dollar signs clouding Sheffield Wednesday’s eyes but they might have made the mistake of spending the money before the cheque arrived. No Steel City derby for them. Nor Sheffield United. Charlton proved to be what John Lennon called a Spaniard in the Works.
Wednesday were left with regrets but few complaints. They were beaten by visitors with an insatiable hunger for success which carried them through numerous rough spots. Four of Monday night’s heroes were recent Academy graduates, one of them (Morgan Fox) making his senior club debut, as Chris Powell showed yet again that he is prepared to trust youth. Mind you, he placed them under the veteran eye of skipper Johnnie Jackson, whose crowdsurfing weekend celebrations faced a tougher test at Hillsborough, where travelling fans are squirrelled away in a remote top tier behind a goal. A suited-and-booted Powell duly stepped up to the challenge by swinging on the crossbar at the end. Undignified, of course, but the occasion got to him, as it had many of us on Saturday.
In the early going, the Owls hardly managed a touch. Buoyed by the pressure-releasing dismissal of QPR, the confident Londoners got among them, hogged the ball and should have scored before a resurgent Callum Harriott gave them a 22nd minute lead. Set up by Harriott’s darting run, Astrit Ajdarevic fired a shot against Glenn Loovens’ legs, then squirted the rebound off another blue-and-white defender for a fruitless corner. But the Addicks were not kept waiting long for their breakthrough.
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A restless blend of skill and strength, 18-year old Diego Poyet is in the first team to stay, or someone else’s first team unless Roland Duchatelet ties him down to a deal. His hustling urgency won him possession to the right of Wednesday’s goal, with his ball in screwed wildly but effectively by Ajdarevic into Harriott’s feet on the edge of the penalty area. Still only a kid but slightly more experienced than his former U-21 mates, the 19-year old left winger did what came naturally in firing an unstoppable drive into the top left corner.
Well on top, the Addicks created a string of chances to make this tie safe before the interval. A senior citizen compared to Poyet, yet another19-year old (sorry about turning this into a litany of ages but this was a bunch of adolescents strutting their stuff) in Jordan Cousins forced Damian Martinez to save awkwardly at his near post with a blistering drive before more industry by Poyet set up Simon Church, whose tame effort hardly troubled Martinez. At the other end, Chris Maguire’s cross swung dangerously but untouched across goal. The Owls were improving but a formidable goalkeeper stood in their way.
Preferred to Yohann Thuram, Ben Hamer was a study in composure, first in dealing with Gary Gardner’s long range rocket, then effortlessly beating down Leon Best’s fierce half-volley after the striker eluded Fox (not 21 until September, by the way).
With a massive prize dangling in front of them, the South Yorkshiremen hauled themseves back ino contention after the interval. A rare slip by Poyet gave Jacques Maghoma enough space to curl a shot narrowly wide and though Jackson sent Ajdarevic’s lay-off skimming past a post in reply, Wednesday’s equaliser was on the cards.
A foul by Richard Wood on Gardner conceded a free kick, bent in by Maguire and touched on by Miguel Llera. In the ensuing chaos, Best hammered a rising drive through the heaving masses and Hillsborough at last erupted. Its relief wasn’t to last.
While Charlton briefly sagged, Fox’s foul on Best caused another hectic scramble from Maguire’s inevitably accurate setpiece but the home side’s equality lasted less than ten minutes before they fell behind again. Llera’s foul on Church was professional enough to earn him a yellow card from referee Mark Clattenburg but oil was poured on his troubled waters as Jackson’s wickedly dipping free kick was bundled past Martinez by a dubious combination of Church’s head/shoulder/arm. Wednesday’s protests were perfunctory and the goal stood.
What remained was an intense siege of Charlton’s goal, during which Hamer distinguished himself. His instinctive reaction in clawing Adthe Nuhui’s resounding header off the goalline after it cleared Harriott’s head and bounced off the inside of the left post was impressive. So was his plunging effort to beat Nuhiu to Maghoma’s whipped-in cross, then steal the loose ball off Best’s toe. But his piece-de-resistance was put aside for added time.
Already airborne in pursuit of Maguire’s vicious 20-yard drive, the keeper’s problems were complicated by a treacherous deflection off Michael Morrison. Finding an extra extension from somewhere, he managed to conjure the ball over the bar. If catches win matches, as ex-England opener and Sheffield Wednesday nut Michael Vaughan would surely confirm, then marvellous saves like this one certainly make sure you don’t lose them. Hamer’s performance surely resolved Charlton’s goalkeeping dilemma in his favour. We’ll find out at Leicester next Saturday as this crowded season gathers added pace. Keep the faith.
Wednesday: Martinez, Palmer, Loovens, Llera, Mattock, Maghoma, Coke (Lavery 58), Gardner (Nuhiu 58), Maguire, Afobe (Helan 74), Best. Not used: Kirkland, Buxton, Onyewu, Hutchinson. Booked: Llera, Mattock, Loovens, Best.
Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison, Wood (Dervite 90), Fox, Wilson, Cousins, Poyet, Ajdarevic (Hughes 90), Jackson, Harriott, Church (Ghoochannejhad 85). Not used: Thuram, Green, Sordell, Nego. Booked: Wood.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg. Att: 24,607.